Contents
Mineral Composition group and Chemical Formula
Sarah Sorden March 2002
History and Folklore
History
| The word crystal came from the Ancient Greek word krystallos meaning ice. A story says that mountain climbers saw crystal gleaming in caves near Mount Olympus and called it that. It was used as trade, much like silver and gold was, around the mediterainian region. | But quartz dosent just go back to the time of the ancient greeks. In fact, cavemen were useing it. Flint is a type of quartz. It is easy to break and make sharp edges so it was a good cutting tool. |
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| When a piece of flint is struck against steel it makes sparks. In the 1600's and 1700's flint was used with steel to produce sparks in flintlock guns. |  |
Folklore
Quartz crystals have been used as gemstones and other ornamental and religous objects for thousands of years. Polished quartz crystal spheres or crystal balls were used as a means of divination in medieval times. For thousands of years before this, quartz crystal and objects made from it were used for divination, disease diagnosis, healing, and for awareness of current events in distant places in lots of ancient cultures.
A 16th centuy tale is about Bacchus, the god of wine. In a fit of rage he declared that the first person he walkes infront of would be thrown to the tigers. That unlucky person was a beautiful maiden named Amethyst. Before she can be eaten by tigers, the goddes Diana turns her into a white stone so she can't be eaten. Bacchus regrets his anger, and as an offering to Diana, pours red wine over the white stone, so it turns purple.